Edgar tregoning



(No Model.)

B. TREGONING'.

TELLTALE DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS. No. 470,722. Patented Mar. 15,1892.

J aw ZZZ cfl Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR TREGONING, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TOALVIN E. BLISS, OF SAME PLACE.

TELL-TALE DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,722, dated March15, 1892.

Application filed October 2, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR T REGONING, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulTell-Tale Devicefor Electric Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in to electric alarm apparatus usedin systems of electric distribution, and is more especially applicableto alternating and direct electriclighting circuits.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and durable device forringing an alarm when the circuit in which it is placed is ruptured orbroken.

My invention consists in the combination of a solenoid having a movabletubular core provided with means for closing a bell or annunciatorcircuit and certain details of construction, which will be more fullyset forth anddescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a general view of a tell-tale device constructed inaccordance with my invention, and also shows the manner of connectingsame in an electric-arc-lighting circuit. Fig. 2. illustrates a verticalsection 0 of the same device. Fig. 3 shows in a general way theapplication of my invention to several independent systems, so arrangedas to register a fault in any one of the different circuits at a centralpoint by means of an an- 5 nunciator.

In Figs. 1 and 2, S is a solenoid formed'of a coil wound on aninsulating-tube I, the terminals of said coil being attached to thehinding-posts B and B A movable tubular core 0, preferably made of thinsheet-iron, fits loosely into the insulating-tube I and has at its lowerextremity the plug P, made of insulating material, which carries at itsouter end a metal contact-piece T. To this is permanently attached aspiral of fine wire, making a flexible connection with the screw 1), andthis in turn is joined by a wire (shown by a dotted line) with thebinding-post 13 At the lower central portion of the base is a cup M, soar- Serial No. 407,583. (No model.)

ranged in relation to the core that the contact T will fall directlyinto it. This cup is supplied with mercury or the like to insure perfectelectrical connection between the parts. Thebinding-postB' is connectedwith the cup M, and a switch IV is provided, by means of which theinstrument may be at any time disconnected from the alarm-bell circuit.

Attached to the base-board is a smallguidc 6o 0, the end of whichprojects through a narrow slot in the tubular cone 0. This guideprevents the cone from turning, thus overcoming any twisting orderangement of the flexible conductor leading to the contact T.

It will be understood that any form of contact device may be usedinstead of the one shown without departing from the spirit of myinvention, although the arrangement shown is preferred by me. 7

An electric-lighting system is represented in Fig. 1 in a conventionalmanner.

G is the generator, and the lamps are shown connected in series. Theline is broken at R, causing the core of the tell-tale device to falland complete the bell-circuit. The latter being shown by the usualfigures, requires no further description.

In Fig. 3 four tell-tale devices A A A A as described in connection withthe previous figures, are shown connected to an annunciator and battery.

Upon an examination of the figure it will be seen that all of thetubular cores are raised and their ends are out of contact with 8 5 themercury-cup, except that in A, which has dropped, completing thebattery-circuit and causing the alarm-bell to ring and the No. 4 disk toappear.

IVhile I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention as applied toelectric-lighting circuits, I do not by any means limit myself to thoseillustrations, as it will be readily understood by these practiced inthe art that many modifications can be made without de- 5 parting fromthe spirit of my invention, and the device is applicable to a greatvariety of uses.

Having described and illustrated my invention what I claim istoo In atell-tale device for electric circuits, and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, this 22d the combination of the coil S, the insulatingdayof September, A. D. 1891. tube I, the hollow movable core 0, the guide0, the insulating-plug P, the contact T, the EDGAR TREGONING' 5mercury-cup M, and. an alarm-circuit, as de- Witnesses:

scribed. D. F. QUINN,

Signed at Boston, in the county of Suffolk W. H. HODGES.

